No two dogs on the planet will have the exact same life experiences, which means no two dogs, even of the same breed, will have the exact same personality or responses to similar situations. While genetics get a dog started, developmental factors such as environment, learning and individual life experiences make each dog who they are. A puppy of a particular breed is an unknown slate with the possibility of those characteristics.” Breed gives an indication of where that unknown slate may go, but not all Border Collies herd, not all Huskies pull sleds and some Chows like everyone equally. As Denise Herman, lead trainer and founder of Empire of the Dog in NYC, says, “When you get a puppy of a particular breed, people think it’s a blank slate, but it’s really an unknown slate. The AKC and other breed-certifying organizations certainly ascribe global attributes to breeds, but they are simply guidelines. This even applies to purebred dogs to a degree despite their concentrated breeding pools. Since a dog’s looks and their genetic code can be on very different pages - sometimes in different books altogether - attributing a dog’s behavior to their “look” can sometimes be a faulty assumption. Instead, tests often come back with percentages of varying breeds - many of which you could have never guessed by appearance. In fact, they may look more like other breeds.” No Two Dogs AlikeĭNA tests often reveal that dogs are not simply a cross between two purebred parents. So much so that they often don’t look like any of their immediate parents or grandparents. Victoria Voith, a veterinary behaviorist at Western University of Health Sciences explains, “Mixed breed dogs are a collage of features of their ancestors. But according to Christine Hibbard, owner of Companion Animal Solutions in Seattle, when associating a dog with the “look” or “behavior” of a particular breed, it’s important to remember that “the way dogs look and their actual genetics can be very different.” That, at least, is what studies are showing. People often cite breed when trying to account for the ways dogs behave. But here’s one thing you can’t so easily tell from your dog: how they’ll behave based on their breed. When you lace up your shoes, they try to lure you back with a request for belly rubs because they’re sad you’re leaving. When you get home, they greet you at the door with kisses. To learn more about tail docking, explore the AVMA articles available on the AVMA website.Your dog is not mysterious about how they feel. We strive to make the best decisions for our poodles here at Heart Song Standard Poodles, and, therefore, we do not dock the tails of our animals. The AVMA encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards used by kennel clubs and canine registries. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) opposes ear cropping and tail docking of dogs when done solely for cosmetic purposes. Puppies are born with fully functioning nervous systems and are able to feel the pain of tail docking. While some sources claim that very young puppies do not experience pain, this is inaccurate. Tail docking occurs commonly in puppies younger than 5 days old. Docking of tails is a choice and we as breeders are responsible for making the best choice for our poodles. Major fault: set low, curled, or carried over the back.” Yet, in contrast to the AKC, other countries and registries have banned the docking of tails and dogs are shown with a natural tail. The American Kennel Club (AKC) breed standard describes a standard poodle with, “Tail straight, set on high and carried up, docked of sufficient length to ensure a balanced outline. Neither reason is applicable to the majority of standard poodles today.Ĭurrently, the primary reason for docking a dog’s tail is entirely cosmetic. Differentiation between dogs belonging to wealthy versus poor owners ensured these dogs would not hunt on the same land. Two conflicting ideas: a long tail hinders a dog by getting easily injured and a long tail helps a dog to hunt. Neither reason is applicable to the majority of standard poodles today.Īnother historic reason to dock tails was for easy identification while wealthy owners often had dogs with undocked tails, poor owners were often made to dock their dogs’ tails. Two conflicting ideas: a long tail hinders a dog by getting easily injured and a long tail helps a dog to hunt. Long tails can help a dog to balance when running and jumping and work as a rudder in the water. However, others claim that long tails may help a dog hunt. Some believed that dogs with long tails may injure their tails while hunting or running through brush. Historically, a variety of conflicting rationales have been used to justify tail docking. Strong feelings surround the choice whether or not to dock a poodle’s tail. Docking refers to the practice of removing portions of an animal’s tail.
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